The New York Herald Newspaper, December 23, 1851, Page 6

INABILITY TO SUPPORT LOW RATES OF POSTAGE UNDER PRESENT COMPLICATED ‘EM OF ACCOUNTS, TATION, DISTRIBUTION AND DELIVERY. MAIL TRAN! ‘Tre Bowen Post System Explained--An entire re-organization of the Matertal ces proposed, 1,300,000 securing per annum Is effected, besid @reuter celerity in ‘Transportation and Delivery, with Rates of Postage consi- @erably Reduced and Simplified, Sin:—A great deal has been said, during the last fow years, on the subject of cheap postage. The sub- jeot bas been discussed very extensively in Congress, as well as by the press throughout the country, while, in some of the large cities, organized bodies, with authorized agents, to carry out and promul- gate their views, have assumod a particular control over the entire range and details of the cause. [ have, myself, not been an inattentive spectator of the various discussions of the subject, nor have | been wholly a disinterested one Pretending, therefere, (as 1 think I may,) te some practical knowledge of our post system, lam of tha clear opinion that no law contemplating reduced rates, can, or ought ever to be carried out undar the present defective and very expensive discipline of the Department. And while | concede the necussity for low rates, (in a country like our own, particu- | larly,) I believe that very few of those who have ‘been active in their advocacy of their favorite polic really know anything about the most practical aad prominent point involved—if they do, they have | most inexousably overlooked it. { allude to tae | ceorgauization, on a more economical and s Tior basis, of the entire system of Post Offiva the local papers are more distant cine rivals ; trash as is now allowed to could be tolerated for one m and The Pike heat ae all Ghepergame of 8 real popula as jor ry Pop’ tion. f thoula be the cheapsst. because labor, rent, and living are scarcely as high in count villages as he Dd in large cities, and these are the elements that enter into the bona fide value of a newspaper, mental capacity being equal. The re- venue derived by the postmaster on the circulation of these papers, is cient to pay the contractor for eee the mail once or twice a week, while, if the postmaster keeps a store, or an inn, or any other general business, it is the source of attracting of business, by which an incidental advantage ac- cruea. Now, although thore is the widest distinction be- tween every shade and feature—yet they are all conducted in the same manner, and their accounts are kept in precisely the same way. ‘This is, in my opinion, wrong. one of these small offices, owing to the political elo- ments which nearly always enter into their estad lishment, is far greater than the benefit derived from five years’ subsequent service. la most cases they are compliments bestowed om such persona a3 “John Smith, Esquire, of Sm! Jam Brown, Esquire, of Browntown ;” aad after existing a year or two, die for the want of support. Toe spirit of land speculation, so characteristic of our country, gives them an ephemeral existence, and when this subsides, they sink with it. Tae depart- ment here loses all the trouble and expense of establishing them, which, were it carefully calou- lated, would in many instances appear amazing. A large force is employed in the Appointment Office to attend to these matters, and every post office established is registered in @ score of books— enters into arcore of printed and written forms, and becomes the subject of extensive correspond- ence. Aud what else? Why, after lingering a counts, mail transportation, distribution and do: very. Itisin referenca to these points, that our p eystem 13 defective, and, consequently, very expen- sive. To saddle eheap rates upon such a system, were to sink the Department into debt, at the @ that we destroy all its remaining ener- | . A wise physician will restore his patient to a thy condition, before allowing him to assume additional labors amd responsibilities—hence, no practical geod could flow trom reduced rates of e, when the department is not placed ia | @ condition to improve the character of ita transportation, distribution and delivery,—for, if | these are to depreciate (as they certainly must, ander the prevailing eystem,) iu proportion to the reduction of the rates, and the amount of additional matter such reduction ereates, no useful end, it seems to me, can be achieved. The advocates of low rates seem never to have thought of this, for the whole drift of their argument is that | whereas, the cheap postage rates of Great Britain | work woll, ergo, they will work well in the Unised States. This argument slways produced its effect | upon the unthinking; and the statistics ofthe Britis — office are presented with an airof triumph ; bat me ef these writers ever analy: the ma- chinery of the British pest system, or have thoy even inquired inte the secret operstions of our own? If they had, they could not fail to have | been struck with the entice and complete dissimi- of the twe systems—a dissimilarity which ef legislation could overcome, and which no ingenuity could harmonize. In Engiand there are but a few hundred post offices—probably not ever 1,400. There are few mail routes, of course, | and they cover but a very small area, Cpe ee | not more than an ameunt equal to New \ork and | Pennsylvania. There are turee classes of office, | the one chec! upon other—and the mails al! radiate from the centre. which is the General Post Office of London. It is, therefore, o- fagal as well as a cea:ropetal system, mail distribution, and no system of accounts ourown. Any post system, ia such a small area, ould be managed with comparative esse, and with | little sPut it is far otherwise in | U Teanes Here we have over twenty | offices, scattere | over the h aad whole boundless continent,” icra k of mail routes, over seven thousan a bracing every description and grade of service, and varying in length from one mule to one thousand miles. Our post system is by far the | most complicated branch of the general govern- ment, and it probably employs twice the number of ita of i tne other branches put together, ine g its entire military and naval service The accounts, while Sieg Saveive the smallest in- dividual items recognized by law, are nevertheless, the most intricate that could be imagined, the | most difficult to adjust, and the most exposed to the liability of error. They are co! of course, ins wretched manner, as, in addition to the complexity of the sccounts, it is notorious that ee of nase eo a the service are incom petent— le to spell or to cyphe: less to make a creditable report their duties to the proper account officer. | state this with any disrespect. God forbid’ rely repeat what | (had rather not) know, and | present Postmaster G: appeare to lament, for he some time ago urged | most serious obstacle be had to contend rying on the affairs of the service ywever ignorant and incompetent many of the Department may be, they are. required to make reports. very | a. no matter how trifling or usimpertant | office may be, has to keep an account current, | i entered all the letters and papers re ell as thosesent. He has to pos: bill bile many have to a vast Re i - porta, of one or another, every quarter, which | | cate bey A per year, making an aggregate of four | thoi accounts, each one embracing | from twenty to thirty separate and distinct items, | and each item divided into departments, divisions, and sub-divisions in the auditor's office, before a weer settiement of the whole can be effected. are pumerous other reports, not, howeve: . to ev it office, which are not em-— ied te the shots cotimats but which present, im the aggregate, a number scarcely less imposi | There are of distributing offices, tg offices, and offices generally, such as New | York, » and Boston. These reports and corr! nce involve a tremendous expense—first, the General Post Office itself costa | annually over two hundred thousand dollars for its clerical foree alone ; and, secondly, at least an ad- | hundred thousand is consumed in the paper, | ting, blank becks,~ Jabor required in mak- must be borne in mind | counts kept in each office, so that theugh one report only ia sent, employing from three to six or more par- | cols of paper, at least as many more parcels in | tne office. Now, 1 put down the whole actually expended in repairs originating under the account current, with the gost of auditing them, at two oon A dotlars, whieh, under the reforms hereat opored, will be reduced to less than Gity thousand dcllars per annum Post officer, as now conduc d, may be divided Into several classes, thoug! are precisely alike ia T and most important | proceeds exoeed one ge incumbents by the President, of such pot se gan handred altogether secondary sre those neat in importancs hore met proeeeds do not reach oe th but dollars per year embracing probably five + sand offices, and situated in bar : towns, ceiving a daily or tri-weekly mail. The third class are those whose incumbents reeei be called “ special offices,” because they generally specially sup- lied with the mails, from the nearest adjacent of | ioe, Once or twice a week, for their net proceeds, limited te a specified amount The compensation of postmasters of special offices in no instance | reaches twent; ‘fr annum ; but varies , according to While they tment they a ] ging the net-work o ation, a9 Well as attracting and dispersing lation into remote regions. It is against these 8 that & reduction cf postage is most severely felt, and provision was very “isely made for them in the present law, by which tiie postmasters will receive the same amount of compensti i ousty Their commissions are also mm proportionally, than effices of higuer g ridge which, the postmasters enjoy the privilege of frank | ing. The principal item of revenue « is derivod from newspapors, and other printed mat ter. Io all small villages, postmasters exert them- selves in raising clubs for the large weekly paper and megezines of the populous cities. Thos ligations are afforded at very cheap rates when but one or two mails are received wo they are taken, to the entire exclusion of daily papers. They are generaily preferred to the loca country papers, although received free of pos'age for their free cireulation only impozed |e bor ai » sponsibility on the postmaster, without afording bim any compensation whatever. It jo unUsTm | borg. ‘berefore, for a postmaster, at @ special o Tiga a* greatly enlar, a » a 7. | made, at a very considerable cost to the short time, it is discontinued, and a new one eatab- ished a mile or half a mile adjacent, and thence ollow entrees and correspondence recordiag its de- cease. Atarough estimate, (and it must neces- sarily be s0,) each post office established costs the | department forty dollars. About the same expense is incurred in every cage of a name changed, as well as for every one discontinued. Now, last year, there were upwards of three thousand offices established, changed, and discontinued, which, at an average cost of $40 each, would give the almest incredible amount of $120,000. Besides this, changes of postmasters are cootineally being ipart- ment, not to say serious embarrassment of the ser- vice. Within the last two years, not less than fit teen thousand removals of postmasters, and o! cflicers of the service, have been made, which, esti- mated at $10 each, gives the astounding sum o! $150,000. A corresponding inconvenience im each ease, was provably entailed upon the service fora | time, in consequence of such wholesale removals. To reform this expense, as well as to correct the notorious abuse of the appointing power, (which, | in this branch of the government, is prostituted to ty purposes; the very branch, too, of all others, Peat ebould be most exempt from it,) I would lodge the establish ment of the office and the appointment of the incumbent, in the postmaster of the proper county office, who may be supposed to know all about the region of county where it is proposed to be located, as well as the individual desiring the eppoimtment. Lwould render it an essential in the establishment of all offices, that the postmaster or citizens interested, guaranteed its eontinuance for five years, or, if discontinued in the meantime, they to ppmgatipelated amount; that they give secu- rity for payment of the contractor, and require him to run a specified number of trips per woek, subject to such schedule as the appointing post- master might impoee; the number of trips, a1 the running time liable to be increased, at his dicre- | tion, subject to pro rate increase of pay. ‘Here we have some foundation to stand on, without loss, and some ground to hope that the service will be well erformed, since the parties, directly involved, we the whele matter in ftbeir own hands. the mail contractor neglects his business, as is too often the case, will be fined, nolns volns, without a getailed report of all the trifling circumstances to the Postmaster General; er be will be summarily discharged, and @ new contractor placed on the route at pay, which the eureties will be liable for. The duties of the postmaster will be simple, and his accounts, such a3 they are, will be with the appoint ing postmaster. All the matter that he receives, after paying the mail contractor, will be for his own exclusive benefit, and no account whatever need be kept of it. All the matter he sends (ex- cept the commissions on money erders), will accrue to the Department, subject to no commissions or charges whatever from him. Thus, all necessity for keeping accounts is entirely overcome. There is nothing to do but to deliver matter sent him, and collect the postage, and to despatch all that is brought him, and retain the Postage to the credit of the appointing office. The wh ing is so simple that no explanation is |, and this is just what bas always been needed; for, consider- ing the service perfo: no class of officers in this, ny other country, assume half so much respon- ty, or perform one-fourth the labor, for twice the amount received, as the ten thor postmas- ters of these special offices. No wonder, indeed, that their accounts are kept in a wretched manner. The wonder is, that any sane man could anywhere be found willing to assume a task so responsible, rplexing, and, after all, so thankless in its nature. ‘be clrenlstion of from ene to two hundred weekly newspapers, magazines, &:, with a proportionate number of letters, would, after paying the con- tractors, leave the postmaster a larger average compensation than is afforded him r pre- sent expensive and complicated commission system. For their furtber benefit, however, the present law, ing the mail, offizes, be re- hos g should, so far as yt to specie oth and this service should at least be at their disposal. By the foregoing plan, very perplexing duties are removed from the mailing postmaster, besides ail | the expense and treuble, and liability to err. It is incredible what an amount of cerrespondence, blank forms, instructions, receipte, reporte, now thrown away on postmasters of this cl what d ficulties arise in the rettlement of their and the contractor's accounts. The amounts involved are sometimes not worth the t of paper con- sumed in auditing them, while the great deiay, aad numerous offi cial forme required in the auditing and settlement of claims, is ope,and, in fact, the principal reason why the cost of transportation is so high— for mail contractors are invariably exposed to every description of delay in receiving their pay, and al- ways make their bide correspondingly high. To show the annoyances of the present contract system, I will illustrate a case. A.B proposes tooarry tae mail, once or twice week, over a certain route, ten in length, in two horse coaches. ec bids ten, twenty, or thirty dollars a year, and the depart- ment aceepts. First, he receives a letter trom the Postmaster General, informing him that his offer is accepted. Second, (two or three months after, ) two blark contracts arelodged with the postmaster, which be is required to Bll up, insluding two re sponmbe surevies. ‘These contracts must be certi- fied before a magistrate—(why could not the postmartcr b hed with the necessary ma- power !)—frequently a mile or two st of Sfty cents ormore. One of the then returned to Washington, ti by the contractor. (pon the expi- ration of the first quarter, the contractor naturally looks for his insignificant amount of pay, but the pestmacter bas received no orders to pay it A month, two months ela when it appoars the ¢ in bis accounts, involving the contractor sa difficult The postmaster does his best to Moulty, while the enraged contractor for his money, and, wore it not for ! would peremptorily abandon the ser- vice. At laet, however, an order is received for the money—but, in the moantime, more talk, paper, and 6 ing bave been expended, than the entire amount involved is worth, which, indeed, rarely quarter, on these small routes therefore, do this service eduction of twenty that probably cre million ax a halt of doilas um are expended for this d jon alone (the entire amount being #09), would effeot an annual saviog of at two hundred and twenty thousand cedless to add that th very myeh improve the orne in mind that this is my mount object in putting forth th Although our post establishment is characterized by the foregoing clasees of office, there are yet jeaturce peculiar te them, which dewand fur- jaerifention. First, there are collection of- fices, where the revenue of particular districts is Jeposited. Postmasters are sometimes detailed in »e collection and settlement of out ing claims with late postmasters, receiving for their services additional compensation; but more frequently spe- 4i agents are sent out, incurring, of cours ry considerable eapense. Probably not lexs t per entum is expended in collecting the the Department togetoer in ond class are draft olives u aneous funds of ann The @ we tb venue is suffered to aclum o ot to the drafts of the Postmaster roneral, in to the people of the surrounding country to his place | it offices—a distinction which is marked in | Inthe first place, the expense of creating | ile,” or “James | ; . | HF | I al i x to the wavy ond third, far the most important it would not require @ second to glance at we a the ails, rd ing te mall the i ar ao = 3 which mails are . map matter agorted for the various routes diverging sorting the letters, remailing them, with sew post-bills | sp outd sonompang” book of tdexes, oie. would leave no room for doubt. The map ‘nder my arrangements, the grade of offices: ‘and trouble of | #hould afford an outline of counties only, with the Bore sory be ry flere . The sa in | through routes connecting State or ipal offices, HF count) ~~ sr a esate or post ina. be EON ‘cally ae toy which t moan routes ; . offices. ‘The General Post Odice, or official exceed eighteen hundred; here it is over twenty | checked when they are confined exolusively to the mer | Tey“clme ace epee te einen Gare should retain all the functions peculiar to it mow— | thousand. There the currency is the | ing and receiving office; and the trace of letters through wrarked tn ted tak, 100 the highest of that ofa general direction over the entire post: local curreney is notoriously bad, the value fluctua- | ‘B¢ mails, in case of loes, can be made with far morecet- | service as steamboat inating thet while fy but rolioved of ‘musny of those features | fing in every State, There, the population is eon- | Sina’ ofthe lows of the distribution; but the saonaniy | Toutes connecting county ofices with, such special ice, ped to a very small area—hore it is dispersed over great measure cease on being relieved offices ag appen to be at connecting = on of its eee” State offices a! eo | a vast territory Ce peerle separated by io dis- ey or work. The force (oo ‘on it can < should be black ink, v: to indicate d 4 offcial heads of county offices, while these should | tances, compe: log mto use the mail. ‘nere d al mstiee origi- | tri-weekly, semi-weckly, and weekly service. have complete supervision over the various sub- | the people are not generally as prosperous as here, large will, doubtless, be greater than this means, it will readily be perceived, aay offices in their tive districts. A mumerous | consequently they fo not meet those incidents and | now, as mails will have to be dividedinto a greater num- | man could place a letter on the proper routes, no corps of special and seoret agents, acting under the | emergencies in busiaess which render the mail ser- | ber of packages; but this increase will be small im com- | mutter whether the office addressed happened to be direction of the Postmaster General, as as | vice auxiliary to their wents. Thero the newspa- ‘with the distribution work that will be discon- | on» mile er one thousand miles off. The praotical the Bostmasters of State | oa loos, | pers, are pizuemely high in price, and few a — ee ee et onenvene ilugtration of this arrangement would i. thas: : a shoul oye’ passing over | number-—here eding ry mas yy rose tl i xample, e, @ let | the eat Toutes 4 Fema the condition | culated in ccustlon thonmeate ¢ 4 which the sub- ped pe Toe pe aah. for them ue ad for. J obn ne Beall’s Mills, a aub-office in | of the service, and tracing “w tions com: | sciiption price is principally forwarded by mail.) | the generel fund, than incur the liability to the | South Carolina. Tho mailing aanaeee§ be wo 2 mitted upon it. The accounts, reduced to a few | simple forms, should be so adapted as to check one the name of the office, the county, and Stato. The stamp of the office, with the date, be imprinted on the address side ter, as now, with the addition. of | apd the word ‘*paid,” or “unpaid.” Sab-oftices and State offices blue or n. should be pinned or clasped to letter. It paid, a check printed in red should be used; if not paid, a black one. Suppose, under this arrangement, a paid letter to be sent from a sab- office: the office, and then attaches the red check. Tho lotter (which we will suppoce sed to a sub-office in another State) is mailed, and without entering into apy registers or accounts whatever, it reaches its destination. The po r here has nothing in | the world to do with it, but to remove the red | check, place it on file, and deliver over the letter. | All this, it must be remarked, is the work of a mo- ment (under our present system it is far otherwise). The postmaster, in reporting quarterly to the proper county ¢ffice, specifies the number of | checks on hand, and the States to whiod they belong. The county postmaster reports to the State office the aggregate amount of checks | held in his district, against other Scates, and this enables the State office to keep its accounts with the General Post Office; the State offices being, in | fact, the only cng ane among ail the offices. | Now, the checks having performed this service | tatiafactorily, they are returned to the States | whence they emanated, and from thence to the r county and sub offices that issued them—the postmasters paying over to the General Post Offic» the money in their hand: for which the checks wero issued. I have no doubt that the same checks,with proper care, would answer for use four or five times over; and although the paper consumed would probably amount to ten or more thousand dollars apoually, yet, compared with the post bills and wrapping paper now used, a saving of more than thirty thousand dollars per year would be effected, without considering the saving of labor, of ac- ceants, and of time in the delivery of letters, which, en is the principal reason they are to be pre- ferre Upon unpaid letters, the black check would ac- company the letter in like mapnor, but this would merely give official notice to the receiving pos'- master that he stood charged with the collection of the postage. In case, however, he failed to collect, he would be credited with the amount of letters on band as now. ‘The old check could, I think, be used for al! tran- sient matter, as well as for letters. Why not? Transient matter is all payable in advance, and | can see no objection to aflixing the check to it, inthe same manner as upen letters. e, it would be more liable to be torn off; but all paid matter should be placed, as nearly as possible, on equality, in re- gard to security and accommodation ; and by proper precaution, this objection would not be very ma- terial. In reference to unpaid sominers and periodi- cals, sent from the office ot publ jon, the postage is payable at the office of delivery, quarterly in ad- vance ; consequently the cl woald not be re- quired. Besides, a majority of the post offices, by my svstem, are entitled to all the revenue acerucing frou: chem, and no acceunt, therefore, s0 far aa re- lates to them, need be kep;. As for other offices, they would make a return of the amount of news- paper postage under oath, and the correctness of their statements would always be open to the in- quiry and invertigation of the numerous secret agents employed iu the service. There would be no barm on this point, not half as much as there is pew. There is avery important feature, long over looked, which | propose to introduce into our post system—I mean the transmission of money by mail upon the security ofthe Department. There is no telling the amount of money annually lost throagh the mail service, owing to carelessnese or depre- dations of its agents. There is ssarcely a morch sot, or business man in the Union, whois in the habit of receiving or sending remittances by mail, that does not lose more or less every year. ww parties who lost, last ear, from o2e to twelve hundred dollars in 8: sums, while I ventnre to assert that there is not vn ag tod or other publishing office in the Union, which does not annual y lose from ten to one hundred dollars. Such publishers as Godey, Grabam, Sartain & Co., Harper & Brot Gen. Webb, J G Bennett, and others, lose heavily—and how! Ab’! ther mystery. No clue can be obtained to money abstracted from the mail in time | to secure it ‘ben it is lost, it is gone forever, and search for it had as well be made in the Atlan- tie of During the last three years, | should judge that more than fifty thousand dollarshave sting through been abstracted a, letters Post Office at Phil elicited, of parties charged with purloining money from the m in that city, during the period specified. The arrangements for transmitting money upoa the security of the Department mi, be conducted at follows -- officers should bave a capital of Hfty or one hundred dollars, and upon this \hey wight seceive on deposit, for transmission, & cyr- reaponding amoant. Suppose the capital to be one burdred dollars; they could issue drafts to half tbat amount, while they would mg be prepared to cash thoee drawn upon them, limited in each case to twenty-five dollars. Their accounts being settled quarter y, would allow them a margin for transactions not exceeding four bundred dollars per perand: of making remi:tances would ~Jobn Jones, residing at Branchville be as follo Pest office, Clay county, Texas, deposits twenty dollars with the post-master of that oflice, in favor of James Brown, residing in New York The post- master gives Mr. Jones a receipt, and then hands bim a draft, as follows :--“"The postmaster at New \ ork ¢ 7 pay James Brown twenty dollars, provided be comes forward within cighty days en- He from the date hereof, and makes per identi€cation of himself; otherwise he will not pay as directed. This is on account of John Jones, of ay county, Texas. Given under camp, November 20, 1855 Joun Savrm, P. Ms Mr. Jcmes chéioess the draft to Mr. Zrown, who, Branchville, my port ofie jesions should range ut about ten cents for all amounts under five dollars; fifteen cents if under ten dollars; twenty cents if un- cer twenty dollars, and thirty cents if uncler fort ineleding e im advance Forty or fitty dolla igbest amount any sub- fee chould deaw for, at any one ti unless it be payable at an office of higher grade, when fifty or abundred dollars mig! « allowed. according to circumstances. If larger amounts were drawn upon sub offices, of course a larger capital would be required, otherwise the postmaster would be liable cocamonally to run out of funds, which should be guarded against as much as possible. 1a this caso, however, the county oflice would come to ita reecuo, (aa it always must in settling the accounts quar- terly), by receiving the drofts on hand. Now. ail drafts tous issued, would be filed by postmaster, and, at suitable opportunities, (vounter- signed or marked by bim as paid), sent vo the pro- per county office, and thence to the State oflise, where they would be held against other States to balanee accounts, or else forwarded to the (ier Post Off All this, however, o weted in case the fentare wore indeed to be viroduced into our post system A+ ‘portant offices, the amoant of money orders i be greatly increased —indeod, on thro tes, where route agents are employed, ti mone Jy itself could rried, at the risk of the Depart m This ia @ step. however, that I do bot ad | erdorse the jcature only so € (rapem) sien of small amounts is involved, and | propose to doit in such a manner, that the [o- partment could aot, possibly, loss a dollar, while t would probably hundreds of thousands per anoum, afford at the same time, the x vo'vable ‘catare of accommodatt that « ib mbedied in any post +ystem 5 at Britain, the mm tto cums under £5 asiderabie p lam yo acs protice. om ft ce A cig ty targa tiurand ox dollars besides class of office, as well as one State, it another, without the expense, the labor, and ity to err, that is now incurred. To do this, the post bill should be materiasly changed and sp) ied. am di: to believe that all the arcom- lished by the use of the post bill be gained f. substituting a smal! circular cheok, containing | ould all use red ink, county offices black, | The check | e baek side of ube stmaster affixesthe uzual stamp of bis — Pp I make this estimate from the arrests made and the testimony | There would be no di In short, there is a complete dissimilarity, all tend- ing to show tbat for every dollar now sent through money orders in Great Britain, at least | twenty dollars would be transmitted here, wer: similar accommodation and security afforded. A recent report from the Census Bureau shows the circulation of the newspaper press of the United States to be as follows. This table is inclusive to the Ist June, 1850 :— Ciretilation winnuall 750,00 235,000, 76,000 11,700,000 80,000 8,320 2,876,000 149,500,000 800,000 7,200,000 900,000 10,800,000 Quarterlies. 26,000 ‘90 000 | 2 Rotala 5 capo 5,000,000 422 600 000 | he above 2,800 publications would probably | ge three dollars each, per year, which, with a | cireulation of 5,000,000, would yield fifteen millions | of dollars. Suppose that three millions of thia circulation paseos through the mails (which, [ think, is a very modorate estimate, inasmuch as by far the greater portion of the tri-weekly, weekly, and monthly publications are supplanted by the caily papers in the Fe jous towns), we would bave vine millions of dollars paid for subscriptions, by mail subseribers. Now, I think there is no doubt but that, under the money order system, at least e'x millions gf this subscription money would be forwarded ibrough the mails, and as they are in amount averaging three dollars each, the com- missions, at the rates I have proposed, would ‘amount to one hundred and twenty thousand dollars. ‘This, it wilt be perceived, is a very con- siderable amount and allewing one-half to accrue to the Department, a clear profit of sixty thousaad dollars per annum is derived solely on newspaper subscriptions, to say nothing of the iacidental ostege originated Bd euch accommodation. It is vt fair to presume that, while so much is lost for the want of the money order system, people are restrained and intimidat from making remit- tances. This operates against the Department in two ways. It fires prevents circulation, and thereby materially decreases the basia upon which cor- respondence originates, for, without the people read, they will have no occasion to write. Secondly, it loses the portage which would accrue upon printed matter, in consequence of remittances being withheld. In addition to the above, a large amount would be remitted for books, which I propose to carry in the mail at rates as cheap, if not cheaper, than any expressman would undertake to do—and with equal despetch and security. Under the present law, the rates for books are entirely too high, and requiring,the portage to be pre-paid, is simply throwing an impediment in the way of the pur- chaser, which smounts to a prohibition. Whena ma, living in a remote or isolated section of the country, remits money to a publisher for a book, he gives prima fucie evidence of his intention to trke it from the post office when delivered, and of his willingness to pay the postage. But under the present Jaw he is mtimidated from making a re- inittarce, because he does not know what amount of postege to remit, avd rather than put the pub- lisber to inconvenicnce in regard to pre-paying the same, he declines making any order. e theery of pre payment in a strictly business community like ours, will not answer—it destroys correspon- denee. 1 shall probably have more to say on this head hereafter. Without entering into an elaborate argument to show the probable profits of the money order system, | will put down three hundred thousand dollars as the amount which | beve no doubt could be annually realized. In re- gard to the accommodation it would afford, every one may judge for bimeelf without the trouble of going into estunates 1 will now consider the most important and dif- ficult branch of our post system, viz , the distriba- tion gery’ the mails are overbauled, and where the matter they contain is placed on the proper routes leading to the various post- offices addressed. They are no- thing nore por lees than lighthouses, to guide the muils into the’proper courses or channels A post. waster in Maine, receiving a letter addressed to come «fice in Missouri, (or any other State,) un- der existing regulations, is required to mail the letter to tne nearest distributor, which, forexample, we will supposé to be Portland. ‘The postmaster at Portland is required to remail the letter, with a poetbill, to the proper distributor in Missouri, which we will suppose to te St. Louis. The let- tor is again opened at St. Louis—(the wrapper, | meap,) and ‘rom therce remailed and poetbilled to | the place addressed. For this service, the distriba- ting cflice receive seven per cent each on the amovit of postage, in addition to ordinary com- missions and compenation. If a letter, by acci- dent or ix direction, goes through three or four dis- tributing offices, chis seven cent is charged 0 that, although but two distributions t is nothing to prevent three or four {rom being charged; thus swelling the a from fourteen per cent to twenty-one and twenty- eight per cent. All the postage accruing upon the letter, after deducting ordinary commissions and expense?, is caten up, and the Department no doubt often eusta loss. Since the agitation of the subject of cheap post- agete (SM4,) v 8 attempts have been made to abolish or modify thie service—for, in addition to the expense, it retards the progress of ma'l matter very much, and ie probably thedirect cause of nearly all the delays ond failures complained of by the press acd people in al! quarters of the country. It is not mecgly the cesortirg of the mail matter that is required, et it originated pew ard separate ac- counts, and coprumes a vast aount of wrapping peper, port bills, &e , besides requiring extraordi- nary facility and despatch to properly perform the service. Major Hobbie, the late head of the Contract Offi, (and of whore ability, during the short time | remained under his cfScial coguizance, | was no less a daily wituese than an admire: ke as follows report last of this branch of the service, ia year .— ‘The erilsincident to this operation are too frequent Cietribution, and con-equept unnecessary expense aud Gelay Originally. the regulations of the Department d two distributions om each tranemission to y car Cf the postage of th: J commision The cause of these Much easier to mail the letter to office which is well known. snd ro td nad out the ultimat Mee addrened belongs, sion fond endSOPa yen he worst m mailing, the letter, in abunired loses ite connection lie and fericus unnecestary delays lua former report I showed tost other countries, aud entiro- taking cut the «vile is obvious the pest diewi and the avi the piactice tained to receive @ ninety-nine cares out with ihe outgeing w are thor ecoasicned distriputicn’ fs ob the pre for forw lirtent pl me. is indi racuificationa « ibut plished upon all except ava. ise nstructions, of rather partiy d partly pr very post office im the United States how to bag ive 1 tnd the matter of ther ofllcer parsing through it. to every other office the United States--the ehief portion of whick cou ftated ip reid instructions under the names of Bta nthe State What is here stated in «o brief t labor. requiring for ¢ knowledge of in be , the inter. h other that { direct course would be spectfied as bagging pe Ketoin one foot of your compasa on one of these extreme points, and shife the otber to a new point on the ehicle, and you ew that new intermediary pointe of ecrneotion Present them line thas by which the mails traverse the y be formed hew mati * which this Will requi t weuld ameust to the @ ntre & iMto the ope 1 this ayetem, every letter The accounts of mails rent wou'd at rorted for that purpose) to wha twas bagged. Th fice would forward ft towards ita destination, by b o the office to which instructed to bag such t would A from one beeging nt to on to the post ¢ a* in distribution, at these for. use there is uothing to do but to ting wording points, shapes visio yeu so well know the precent system is subject to hen the reduction of the rates in 1845 was cou- | templated, the Postmaster Generai issued an order allowing but one distribution. The malltng ner. master, under this order, waa required to his ne distributing office nearest to the offiee letter to No. Copies Printed | J) stributing offices are those at which | rr : ee Now this was an extraordinary require- he expense und delay of distribution was ry med to have been absolately neces: sary to justify a reduction of the rates of 5 A postwaster in the interior of Maine, for example, receiving a letter addressed to a place in Missouri, er any other State, was required to dee: te the proper distribution; and how was he to do it? What wasthe point? The Postmaster General, to be sure, caused some printed instructions to be pre- d, but they were, in their very n 80 com- d that few could act upon them, and for this thata distribution which would be proper for mail matter emanating from the East would not be proper for watter coming trom the West, the South, or the North, because it depends upon the circumstances of the route, as the length, the mode of conveyance, time of arrival, and nature of connection with depend ng routes, all of which are exposed to variations wit the change of seasons, the opening and closing of navigation, the completion of railways, &c.; so that, eye the nearest distributor to the office ad- dressed, might be the proper one under ordinary circumstances, yet, from the nature of the routes, a distributor intermediate on the route, or even nearest to the mailing office, might prove to be the proper one in many instances. Suppose a letter din North or South Carolina, for Columbia, Pa., which is on the Susquehanna river, nearly equi- distant from Baltimore and Philad jelphia ; the mail- ing master would be required to send the letter to Philadelphia for distribution. Whereas, it P should be arrested at Baltimore, by which means it would save the one hundred miles travel betwoen that city and Philadelphia, and reach ita destina- tion one day earlier. Sw , however, that the letter was addressed to Lebanon, or to Pine Grove, or to Pottsville, the mailing postmaster would pro- bably send it to Baltimore ; whereas, in this caso, it should be sent to Philadelphia, for, although i! might very properly prone from Baltimore, via Columbia’ and Harrisburg, to Lebanon or Botts. ville, yet, ifdespatched from Philadelphia, it would diverge from the Reading and reach its destination reveral hours sooner. As wight have beenexpected, this order involved the mail service in the greatest oonfusien. It is characteristic of a people who enjoy so many glo- rious privileges under our rument, to forbear; forbearance is, indeed, a virtue in our countrym exhibit it daily and continually in be: 1s and abuses of our post system. The are generally of a small character—that is, thcy involve but a small amount, though much way indirectly depend upon them. Tre responsi- bility is distributed amongst such a large number of agents, that no ore appears directly at fault ; hence people rather bear the “‘ills they have, than flee to others that they know not of.” The distribution service, while it delays the m: ter, as already stated, also presents Cy jrohny 0 for loting, mislaying, if not abstracting letters from the mail. But, after all, the delay, and the errors committed by mailing postmasters,are what renders the system supremely obnoxious. It isimpossible for them, with the means Eee in their hands by the Postwaster General to distribute correctly. {tia per- fectly imporsible—nay, it is absurd, to expect them to do it. Dering the time that this order remained in force, upwards of three hundred letters were received daily at the New York Post Uthee, erro- neously sent there for distribution. A like number wes probably received at Baltimore and Philadel- pbia, and a proportional number at tao other dis- tubutors, about fifty in all. Supposing one hun dred letters daily, were thus sent to each, would have just 50,000, which, multiplied by the number in the year, would give 18,250,000 Rating the postage at an average of four cents, it amounts to $730,000, upon which the commissions at I4 per cent would amount to over one hundred thousand collars. This doesnot, of course, include the blanks and wrapping paper consumed, which would swell the amount into astill greater sum. Now, this enormous amount is not only lost, but under the | order of the Postmaster General a register had to be kept of a)] such blunders, and the mailing post- masters notified of their mistakes, failing to ob- serve which, they were liable to be reported to the Department. Now, let me inquire, why is such folly as this allowed in one of the most important arms of the overpment—a branch in wi all are more or ees interested! Why bas this abuse been suffered year after year! a, because, as | have before stated, the individual irtereet felt in the subject is so small, the responsibility shared by so many se- cret hands, and the stupendous machinery at work so complicated, that few persons are Megew a if they really felt themselves competent, to make a full exposition to excite the it of reform. The Department, from a very insignificant commen bas of Jate years grown into such dimensions an extraordinary importance, that it has change its system of discipline. Tne e, which originated with it, “ have grown with its growth,’ id they are now so thoroughly riveted and dove-tailed into the whole system, there ie really no otber alternative for improvement then the complete demolition of the monster, “ with imperfections on its head.” Mr. Hail, the present Possumwster General, like several of bis predecessors, experimented for some time with this distribution scheme, in the hope, bably, that he would be successful, and ‘eoslore imortelize himself by creating a permanent, cheap postage system. He, however, has met the com- von fete; for after straining every nerve to main- tain single distribunvs—ser vainly issuine orders and circulars, and pronunciamentos, ant on- jeining it—he suddenly wheeled about and double distribution—probably finding it, upon the whole, lees expensive, although calculated to ro- tard the transit of mail matter, We have now, therefore, all the ex] and delay of two distri- butions, with many of the evils of single distribu- tion. Without £° ing into details to show the pro- bable ecst of this branch of the service, | will put it down, (all things direct and indirect, considered, ) at feur bundred thousand dollars per annum. Now, | propoee not only to save all this amount, but J pri pose to secure direct mailing, without de- lay, witheut everbanling, without postbilling to distributors. | consider the plan pro by Major Hobbie too complicated—in fact, it ig no betur than the present system, except that it saves postbilirg bat it will not save money, nor ltt ourd Celegity in transufeaton Lhd re i cither be c~aplety pad thorough, or it eform at all. Waat i propose is, to mail now, let me show how this ia to be wus The General Post Offies is the only place in thé United States where the details of our transporta- tion service, and all its e*neomitant brancles are understoed. And w Because it is the immé diate and paremeont business of this office to keep all the affairs of Me “yyy in systematic or- cer. To enabie it to do this, it prescribes the nemes of offices, ard sseertains their exact geogra phical porition. This dose, it preseribes the neces- ery cujplics of mail conveyance to and from each oftice 'o facilitate this duty, it divides the trans- portation service into rout rranged in numeri- cal order, proceeding from route No. | to No 7,000. it divides there routes into grades, according to the mode of conveyance and the amount of | matter carried over them. When a post office is | established, jupplied from the route upon waich t happens to uated, or, if it be not on one, a route is extended mbrace it, or else a new reute created. To rtain, therefore, how often and from what point any post office is ference is made to the mdexes of the route, where ail the particulars are exposed. Thus, foro i wich to know from what point Branchville, Mo., reovives ite euppiy of matter. | look for tae pame of the cilice in books kept for that purpose, ond Bod that it is ed by route 6,000; by reference to the se of that route, I learn that the mail leave in post office at a certain hour, on a certain or days, supplying Branchvtile, with other : ace b be, end road, four horse or two- hors Hiere woe have ail tho ; ‘rls, there: | did not know how to mail it, map, or the indexes, (and, as there are over ten thousand sub-offices under my it, they would ail have plenty of time to do this, since the amount of business is smal, and since all other accounts and difficulties are abolished,) by which he would perceive the number of the route aa weil ag the county in which situated. This dissovered, the whole difficulty is solved; for all he has to do ia to mail the letter to the proper county office, or the office from which it is supplied. The letter, whon it reaches the great het route, of course is in the proper bag, which will not be o; until the r point is reached. Under this system ot mailing, & aster may not only point ou: the exact route any letter has to travel, though it wore two thousand miles, but by referring to the several routes, he will tell you the mode of conveyance on each, the combined distance, and the exact daz nd hour the letter ought to reach its deetina- tion, by due course of mai A few years service would 60 familiarize postmasters with the internal structure of post routes and mail supply, that, all this information would accumulate upon their minds, without reference to books or mapa. The arrangement of the routes could, of course be great y improved to carry out this a win is the say bn Bs rere otek noe: e expense of preparing and p! @ boo and map, euch ag 1 duscribe, would not exceed thir- ty thousand dollars. It may appear strange to tha ier that this has not been done long ago, aiace Ieulated to redound so vastly to the character ail service, no less than to the pecuniary 1t is strange—it is very strange. But what will be thought whea I assure my reader that, net only bas the Dapart- ment failed to do this, where an annual saving of ovér four hundred thousand dollars is within its grasp, but it has absolutely negleoted to furnish to postmasters a copy of the regulationsfor the go- verpment of the service. Nay, more, it has neglect- ed, until a few weeks ago, to furnish a list of tha ze offices, even, As tor mapé of post routes, it s not a half dozen copies later than 1536, sinc which time the number of offices and routes has doubled, and the business of the service has corres- ingly tacreared.* the largest branch of the government going abead in darkness, many of its officers notoriously ignorant and ineompetent, and no provision whatever made to enlightea them in their duties. And why? Ah! To answer that, were to wade through quires of foolscap. I have not the time: nevertheless, | might eug- st some resons—the principal one is : al pertwents of the government hate claims! They abominate them. The Postmaster Genoral employs postmasters upon commissions very well. Ke is their interest to raise all the revenue possible, ag wail in their pow Very well; a master having no laws or regulations before 5 performs the functions of his office in a manner to suit himself. He practices, if he chooses, petty annoyances, and the people, not understanding their rights, submit to it. When, however, a caso of appeal to the Postmaster Genoral irre a written decision is farnished, which settles it. But sup} a similar case occurs elsewhere; another written decision isfurnished. Suppose another, and another case; they all get written decisions; aad why? Because if he were to lay down a general rule to correct a previous imposition, a thousendor ten thousand cases of the same nature might come up, and the consequence would be, that thousands of dollars would have to be paid out to answer “claims.” Thés is one reason; but there are others, which [ have notime to dwell n. Before leaving this branch of the subject, however, I will relave aa instance to which | was oe party, illustrating the abuses of our post establishment. In interpreting the law of 1845, Hon. Cave Joha- sop, in his instructions to postmasters, said: * On all transient newspapers (by which is meant news- papers not sent from the office of publication to re- rm subscribers), ciroulars, handbille, &c, three cents shall be prepaid,” &c. Under this clause, publishers were charged three cents for every news- paper sent to others than regular subscribers. The tax was felt to be 80 extraordinary, that the press very generally denounced it, and Mr. Johnson, per- ceiving that the terms of the law did not warrant such a construction, countermanded it in an official letter published in the Washington Union, a copy of which was sent to several leading postmasters, and the notice cut out and posted up in their respac- tive offices. This countermand read: ‘On all traa- sient pewspapers (or newspapers not sent from tae office of publication—omitting the words ‘‘to re- subscribers”), three cents shall be prepaid, it of t] advantage of the government. c. By this new interpretation, publishers were 4 o liberty, as previously, to send specimen | their papers to agents and others, te be used curing subscribers for . But, notwithstan | thie, postmasters continued to exact the Pt | ment, and probably not less than sixty thousand | dollars were thus collected in the principal cities of | the Union, of which the writer himself paid nearly | twelve hundred dollars. Having paid it under pro- test, I appealeé to Juage Collamer, when the whole facts of the case were eiicted, and pertion of tha | money refunded, But, all sh there are maay | other eases, exactly like thi money not being id under protest, or the circumstances having | ay te eg gh Ba ie funde wh 9aee, the Drewes ofp timate ni been thus made knowa | to the Department, no instructions were ever #99" | out by the Postmaster General untila year or mora subsequently, and, apon inquiry here at New \ ork, 1 was su id to find the postmasters requiring publisbers to pro-pay, as usual. Such nice offsa- ces as there bear their own yommen! But Cave Johnson, like the pro!*1t Postmas‘er General, was opposed to the ral Otrpclation of palate’ matter ia ithe suai: Upon the redusea ) raves of oing into operation, he was approhea- inertate of printed m een sive that would serioaal, encumber the mails, lgwaly alilsdoeens of transportation ; and on this reason he threw up the obstacle in the way NE megs § slread7 mou- tioned, by which the ci: ‘ion of their publica- tions, it was thought, would be greatly ourtailed Judge Hall has done , and has evea gone farther than “his ious ec” ia Mparison with the rates for letters. Mr. Hail is sa) be s great man in small things, aad ia musa complimented for his industry and close sorutiay into the smaller ‘etails of is office. Those compli- ments, as | happen to know, are weil od; o sorry to be compe tie earned at tao nee ot a more lofty, sive adm — of bis evils are vourisbed, aod sprout out wpoa the asass of little ones. He ostensibly reogmanpaded ted ood rater; but while the people asked for bread, b | Given them tone. While postage cally seems low, noumbered with so many “tates” and discriminations, that tho whole thing is hard to understand, and redownds equally against tas ernment ae Well asindividuals. Errors snd mi y whica groat . } st on@, | am opposed to “discriminations ;" that Tac knowledge neither the justice nor propristy of the Doartment allowing one dereription of inted mate? to pase free, and another to be sad- led with heavy,” ‘Stes of postage. Ina free g»- vernment, every 89 stands alike, and no igajdioas distinction should be "Se to the prejudios of aay But above all, ] am op, ord to ting swooping dis crimination of Mr. Hall siitingt priates aii: ot generally. itis the p people are a reading pe their duty and their pleas who, in a country like present, wuld circumse and that, t ia tieic breasts, Away with pois ciag, oveclomiad fea Lai ay